Mailbox signal flag



June 23, 1970 L. mwmfiwmw 3,516,383

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United States Patent 3,516,383 MAILBOX SIGNAL FLAG Louis Goodman, Chicago, Ill. (3903 Emerson St., Palatine, Ill. 60067) Filed Mar. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 810,128 Int. Cl. G08c /00 US. Cl. 116-132 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mailbox signal flag device for signaling the deposit of mail or other parcels within a rural-type mailbox. A resilient elongated rod with a signal flag extremity is secured to a bracket mounted adjacent the closed end of the mailbox opposite the mouth thereof. The cover or lid of the box carries a hook beneath which the free end of the rod is removably retained when the box is empty. Upon opening of the box to deposit mail therein, the free end of the rod is released from the hook to permit the rod to return automatically to vertical position raising the signal flag above the mailbox to signal the delivery of mail, said signal flag being readily discernible at a substantial distance from the mailbox.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to signal flag devices and more particularly to a signal flag device for indicating the delivery of mail into a rural-type mailbox and which is visible at a distance from the mailbox.

Description of the prior art Mailbox signal flag devices of the general character with which this invention is concerned are disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,078,160, 2,852,185, 2,988,268, and 3',- 084,853. These patents disclose signaling devices which are activated upon opening of the mailbox so that the intended recipient of the mail deposited within the box can observe from a distance that a delivery has been made. Each of these patented devices utilize a combination of levers, catch devices, and counterweights to achieve the desired signaling of mail deposition within the mailbox. The arrangements disclosed all require means to attach the signal device which pierce the mail container and extend into the same. Further, all of the devices of the priorart are of complex nature, each requiring precise balancing and positioning of the signal a device upon the mailbox. Also, the construction and means for attaching these prior flag devices to a mailbox more or less require factory installation thereof and do not permit attachment to a mailbox not having a signal flag by the ordinary purchaser and user of the same. The need to pierce the container of the mailbox, the use of complicated parts, and the requirement of precise balance thereof when installed are avoided in the signal flag device of the invention herein.

Additionally, the operation of the relatively complex structures of the prior art may adversely be affected by severe weather conditions causing freeze-ups, corrosion and other malfunctions which are obviated by the invention herein.

Further, the devices of the prior art are such that placement of the signal flag device upon the mailbox must be at a precise location upon the box, usually upon a side wall thereof. Such location does not give the box owner a choice for placement which would be optimum for visibility of the signal flag device as individual needs dictate. The invention herein is permissive of location of the signal flag device upon a mailbox at any desired location.

st, Patented June 23, i970 The invention provides a mailbox signal flag device for use on a mailbox having a door hingedly mounted at one end of the mailbox to open outwardly. The signal flag device includes a mounting bracket for retaining a resilient elongated rod member having a ball or flag portion contiguous the free end thereof. The mounting bracket can be mounted adjacent the rear portion of the mailbox, preferably upon the lip or bead formed on the edge thereof. A single metal screw is suflicient to retain the mounting bracket upon the mailbox. A hook member is positioned upon the door of the mailbox and the free end of the resilient elongated rod member is bent down toward the door to be retained beneath the book. In this position, the rod is oriented substantially horizontal to the box so that the flag is not observable from a distance. When the door is opened, the free end of the rod member is released automatically from the hook, permitting the rod member to return to its unbiased or relaxed position vertically disposed. In its vertical position, the flag on the free end of the rod is visible from a distance indicating that the door has been opened and mail has been deposited within the box.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a mail box signal flag device having a resilient elongated rod Emember secured at one end thereof adjacent the closed end of the box opposite the mailbox door and provided with a signal flag secured proximate the free end of the rod, the rod adapted to be biased toward the door of the mailbox and removably retained in said biased and tensed position by a hook member on the door and be released from the hook when the door is opened to return to its relaxed or unbiased position in a vertical orientation relative the box so that the flag is visible from a distance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mailbox signal fiag device of a character described which can be mounted at any one of a plurality of locations on the mailbox and which is not dependent upon accurate balance or positioning for optimum performance thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mailbox signal flag device of the character described which is secured to the box by novel bracket means retained thereon without penetrating the inner confines of said box.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a mailbox signal flag device of the character described which is operable with very little maintenance, is not affected by adverse weather conditions, and is capable of being seen at a distance from any direction regardless of the particular position at which it is mounted on the mailbox.

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing disclosure in which a preferred embodiment and modified forms of the invention are described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is contemplated that minor variations in structural features and arrangement of parts thereof may occur to the skilled artisan without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rural-type mailbox having the signal flag device of the invention mounted thereon, said device being shown in solid outline in position prior to delivery of mail, and the door of the mailbox opened and resulting signal position of the signal flag device being shown in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the novel mounting bracket of the signal flag device of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view 3 taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and in the direction indicated generally;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1, and showing a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3 and showing another modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a ruraltype mailbox having a further modification of the signal flag device of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, there is illustrated a conventional rural-type mailbox 10 having a generally cylindrical casing 12 and a closed end 14. A door 16, hinged at the bottom, normally closes the open end 18 of the mailbox 10 opposite closed end 14. A latch assembly 20 having one element 22 positioned on the casing 12 and a mating element 24 positioned on the door 16 secures the said door in closed position. A post 26 connected to the floor 28 of the mailbox supports the mailbox 10 above ground in a conventional manner. Many other constructions for mounting the mailbox are feasible within the purview of the invention.

The mating edges of the rear wall 14 of the mailbox 10 and the casing 12 are secured together by a conventional rolled lip or head 30 and an annular reinforcing ridge or rib 32 is formed about the casing 12 adjacent the lip 30 to provide rigidity for the casing 12.

Looking now at FIG. 3, there is illustrated a mounting bracket designated generally 34. The mounting bracket 34 includes a flat, rectangular portion 36, and a rounded, generally C-shaped portion 38 formed integral with the flat portion 36. The portion 38 is of a configuration which is complementary to that of the bead 30 such that the required portion 38 engages over the lip 30. The dimension of the bracket member 34 is such that it can be positioned upon the casing 12 on the flat surface 31 between the end bead 30 and the reinforcing ridge 32. An aperture 40 is provided in the bracket member 34 proximate the line of joinder 33 between the C-shaped portion 38 and the rectangular portion 36 for receipt of a sheet metal screw 42. Bracket 34 is secured to the mailbox casing 12 by positioning the C-shaped portion 38 upon the lip 30 and engaging the screw 42 into the aperture 40 and tightening the same. The force of the penetrating end 44 of the screw 42 against the lip 30 will be opposed by the free end 37 of the C-shaped portion 38 to prevent a movement of the bracket once mounted.

Secured to the bracket member 34 upon the flat rectangular portion 36 is a generally cylindrically shaped retaining member 50. The retaining member carries an elongated resilient rod member 52. The rod member 52, when in relaxed position as shown in phantom outline in FIG. 1, will be generally vertically oriented relative to the mailbox 10. A signal flag 54 is secured to the rod member 52 adjacent the free end 56 thereof. The flag 54 illustrated takes the form of a ball which can be constructed of Styrofoam or other lightweight material and coated with a brightly colored paint to facilitate easy visibility at a distance. Any type of flag portion, such as a metal or fabric device, could be used in lieu of the ball 54. The retainer 50 also can be a metal spring member.

The free end 56 of the resilient rod member 52 is bent slightly out of line with the remaining portion of the rod member 52. The door 16 has a flange 17 projecting from its perimeter overlying the adjacent end portion of the open end 18 of the mailbox casing 12. Secured to the flange 17 is a hook member 60 which is upstanding and aligned with the bracket member 34. When the door 16 is in closed position, prior to delivery of mail, the resilient rod member 52 is bent or biased downwardly from a vertical disposition and the free end 56 is hooked under the hook member 60. In this position, the rod member 52 is oriented substantially horizontal to the mailbox 10 so that the flag 54 is not visible from a distance, as illustrated in solid line in FIG. 1. This orientation will obtain so long as the door 16 is not opened.

Upon opening of the door 16 such as upon delivery of mail, the hook member 60 will slide relative the free end 56 until it clears the free end 56, at which time the resilient rod member 52 will swing free and return to a vertical position relative to the mailbox 10, as illustrated in phantom line in FIG. 1. In this vertical position, the flag 54 on the free end 56 will be visible to the observer from a distance since it is raised above the mailbox casing 12. The resilient rod member will remain in the vertical position shown in phantom outline until its free end 56 again is engaged by the hook 60 by bending the rod 52 after the door is closed. Resetting of the rod member 52 usually will be done after mail is removed from the box 10 by the recipient thereof.

The mounting bracket 34 can be positioned at any one of several convenient locations proximate the lip 30 of the mailbox 10. For example, there is illustrated in FIG. 4 an alternative positioning of the bracket 34. The bracket 34, in this case, is positioned adjacent side wall 13 of casing 12, and the hook member 60 is positioned in like orientation upon the flange 17 of door 16. The operation of the resilient rod member 52 in cooperation with the hook member 60 is substantially the same as that described in connection with FIG. 1, except that in this case, the retaining member 50 is slightly deformed relative the flat surface 36 of bracket 34 so that when released, the resilient rod member 52 will assume a vertical orientation relative the mailbox 10, but will be generally parallel to the side wall 13.

In FIG. 5, another alternative manner of mounting the bracket member 34 on the casing 12 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the aperture 40' is provided on the flat surface 36 rather than on the rounded C-shaped portion 38 of the bracket 34. A sheet metal screw 42' is inserted through the aperture 40' to pierce the casing 12 and firmly retain the bracket member 34 thereon.

The free end 56 of the resilient rod member 52 can be removably retained adjacent the door 16 without the use of a hook member 60. In FIG. 6, the free end 56 is illustrated retained adjacent the door 16 by insertion thereof beneath the flange 17 within a deformed portion 70 on the flange 17 or it can be wedged into place. The deformed portion 70 initially can be provided in the flange 17 of a. standard mailbox 10 by opening the door 16, positioning the free end 56 adjacent the opened end of the mailbox 10 and then closing the door 16 upon the free end 56. Mailbox 10 commonly is constructed of thin gauge sheet metal and readily will deform upon initial closing of the door 16 with the free end 56 wedged between the flange 17 and the casing 12. Once the deformed portion 70 is provided in the flange 17, resetting of the spring member 52 after mail has been removed from the box 10 is accomplished by bending rod member 52 so that the flag member 54 is adjacent the casing 12, and the door 16 is closed with the free end 56 wedged between the flange 17 and the casing 12.

It will be seen that the signal flag device embodying the invention is very simple in construction and requires a minimum number of parts. The device conveniently is positioned at any of a plurality of convenient locations upon the box and since it has such few parts, it is very eflicient and less likely to malfunction in adverse weather conditions, thereby contributing to long life for the signal flag device.

It is believed that the invention has been sufliciently disclosed to enable practice of same by the skilled artisan. It is to be understood that the precise construction of parts as well as dimensional relationships therebetween is not to be construed as absolutely critical and that minor changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention defined in the claims hereto appended.

What it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

I claim:

1. A signal flag device for a mailbox having a door hinged at one end of the mailbox and arranged to open outwardly comprising, a mounting bracket secured to the mailbox adjacent the end opposite said one end, the end opposite said one end having a rolled lip, said mounting bracket having a flat portion and a generally C-shaped portion formed integral with the flat portion, said bracket having an aperture provided therein, said bracket being secured to the mailbox with the C-shaped portion overlying the rolled lip and a fastening member passing through said aperture to engage said mailbox, a resilient elongate rod member secured to said mounting bracket, a signal flag affixed to said rod member adjacent the free end of said rod opposite the mounting bracket, and rod retaining means on said door removably to retain said free end adjacent said door until opening of same, whereupon said free end will be released and automatically swing to a position remote from said door with said signal flag elevated above the mailbox.

2. A signal flag device as claimed in claim 1 in which said rod retaining means comprises a hook under which said free end is retained.

3. A signal flag device as claimed in claim 1 in which said door has a flange projecting from its perimeter over- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,458,836 6/1923 McDowell.

2,428,423 10/1947 Hurbah 232-35 2,433,940 1/1948 Weaver 232-35 2,438,314 3/1948 Dalton 232-35 2,706,462 4/1955 Evans 11628 3,320,920 5/1967 Lusebrink 116-28 3,363,600 1/1968 Gary 116-28 3,433,203 3/1969 Sharkey et al. 116-28 LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

